Template

Change order template for creative studios, as a copyable outline.

A change order turns "could you just add one more" into a written, priced agreement. This outline keeps it short enough to send the same day the request arrives.

How to use this template

Send a change order as soon as a request falls outside the agreed scope, and before you start the extra work. It should read as helpful rather than defensive: here is what you asked for, here is what it does to the plan, here is how to approve it.

Copy the outline into an email or document and fill in the brackets. It contains no prices; wherever it says "your rate", use your own figure.

Change order: outline
CHANGE ORDER [number]
Project: [project name]   Client: [client name]
Date: [date]   Raised by: [client or studio]

1. THE REQUEST
What was asked for, in the client's words: "[request]"
Where it came from: [email, call, date]

2. WHY IT IS OUTSIDE THE CURRENT SCOPE
The agreed scope (version [x], section [y]) includes: [what is included]
This request adds: [what is new]

3. WHAT CHANGES
Added deliverables: [list]
Effect on the timeline: [no change / moves final delivery from [date] to [date]]
Effect on revision rounds: [none / one extra round]
Anything that must be removed or paused: [list, or "nothing"]

4. COST
Fee for this change: your rate
How it is invoiced: [with the next stage / separately, due on approval]

5. OPTIONS
Option A: approve as written
Option B: [a smaller version of the request], fee: your rate
Option C: leave it out and continue with the current scope

6. APPROVAL
Reply "Approved, option [A/B]" or sign below. Work on the change starts once approved.
Name / date: ____________

Why offer options

A single take-it-or-leave-it price invites an argument. Offering a smaller version, or the choice to skip the request, keeps the client in control and keeps the relationship friendly. Most clients choose the version that fits the budget they have, and you are paid for the work you do.

The "why it is outside scope" section is the heart of the document. It points at the written scope of work rather than at the client, which keeps the conversation about the document and not about fault.

Making it routine

Studios that send change orders quickly find that clients stop asking for free extras, because the process is clear. The discipline is timing: once you have started the work informally, the leverage is gone. Write it up before you begin, and keep a running list so the change orders add up to a clear record at invoice time.

If chasing the paperwork is the problem, Viznerve drafts follow-ups on quiet quotes and requests on a cadence you set, for your approval. See follow up automatically and the glossary entry on the change order.

Common questions

Should a small change always be written up?

Write up anything that adds time, deliverables or a review round. A trivial tweak you choose to absorb is a goodwill decision; note it so the client knows it was one.

Does this include prices?

No. Amounts are written as words, such as "your rate", so you set the figures.

Can Viznerve draft a quote like this for me?

Yes. Viznerve reads the inquiry and drafts the reply and a priced quote in your studio's voice, from the brief. You review and send; it never sends on its own by default. See quotes and follow-ups. The trial includes 150 credits for 14 days with no card.

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